Orlando-area church that left Episcopal diocese finds home with Pentecostals

OrlandoSentinel.com
Pentecostal church serves as shelter for former St. Edward's Episcopal members
Rosemarie Dowell

Special To The Sentinel

January 19, 2008

MOUNT DORA

The only Episcopal congregation in Lake County to leave the national denomination over the issue of homosexuality and other doctrines has found a new home and ally in its quest to begin worshipping anew -- a tiny Pentecostal congregation.

The Rev. Woodleigh Volland and an overwhelming majority of his congregation at St. Edward's Episcopal Church departed the national Episcopal Church in late October but remained with the 77-million-member worldwide Anglican community.

The dissidents regrouped and formed a new church, Epiphany Celebration Anglican Church, but quickly found themselves with nowhere to worship or hold services.

"We had to move nearly the entire congregation and didn't have anywhere to go," said Volland, an ordained minister since 1990 and pastor at St. Edward's for six years.

Four of the five staff members and 10 of 12 vestry members opted to leave along with 130 of the roughly 170 regular church worshippers, Volland said.

"We stepped out in faith and started completely over," he said. "It was an extraordinarily difficult decision."

Enter the 40-member Bethel Assembly of God on Camp Avenue, about a mile away from St. Edward's.

A place to worship

After hearing of Epiphany Celebration's predicament and need of worship space, members there decided to share their humble sanctuary with the newly formed church.

"The deacons thought it was the right thing to do and voted to help them out," said the Rev. Bruce Clark, pastor of Bethel Assembly for the past 25 years. "And every church member has expressed support for the new church."

Epiphany Celebration had its first service at Bethel on Jan. 6 and filled the church to near its 140-person capacity.

"Pastor Clark and his church have given us unconditional grace and hospitality and welcomed us with open arms and doors," Volland said.

The congregation's departure from the Episcopal denomination -- along with a few other churches in the 89-member Diocese of Central Florida -- comes after a 4 1/2 -year-long tempest within the church. The controversy was brought about by the 2003 consecration of openly gay bishop V. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire, the blessing of same-sex unions and other issues.

The debate over homosexuality has created stark divisions among church members nationwide and in Central Florida.

Clashing philosophies

In November, the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, under the guidance of Bishop John Howe, announced that several Central Florida churches intended to soon leave the denomination and the diocese. Those included: Grace Episcopal Church in Ocala, Gloria Dei Episcopal Church in Cocoa Beach, Church of the Good Shepherd in Maitland, Trinity Episcopal Church in Vero Beach and Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Winter Haven. Two newly formed churches in Lake Nona and Poinciana also were expected to leave.

The departure of those churches would account for roughly 10 percent of the diocese's 36,000 members.

Joe Thoma, the Diocese of Central Florida communications director, said St. Edward's remains as a church in the diocese. He said church records before the defection officially listed 287 members.

"The diocese intends to maintain the church and work on building up membership," Thoma said.

Volland said he and his congregation decided to leave the denomination because of what they believed to be their faith's authoritative guide.

"The Bible supersedes all other authority and no one has the right to mess with it," he said. "That became the critical issue."

For some, the decision by a Pentecostal congregation to harbor an Anglican church might be puzzling, given the differences in their doctrines. But Clark and Volland said questions about the relationship should be put to rest.

Finding common ground

"Our core beliefs are the same," Volland said. "The difference is preference in worship."

Since leaving St. Edward's, which was founded in 1956, he said some congregants from other diocesan churches have hailed his church's decision to leave the denomination. "I've heard from people in Leesburg to Maitland who are interested in joining the new church and have thanked us for taking a stand."

Volland said the departure has lifted a blanket of controversy from his and his congregation's shoulders, leaving them the opportunity to worship unhindered.

"We can finally do what we always wanted to do," Volland said, "worship freely."

Epiphany Celebration has worship services at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sundays. It meets at Bethel Assembly of God, 1400 Camp Ave. Volland can be reached at 352-735-4189.

Mark I. Pinsky of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

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